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Du Plessis raises concerns about Adesanya's motivation, suggesting that his passion may be fading.
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    Du Plessis raises concerns about Adesanya’s motivation, suggesting that his passion may be fading.

    Israel Adesanya is one of the most accomplished and popular UFC champions of the modern era yet the former two-time middleweight titleholder only has one victory within the past two years.

    Current 185-pound kingpin Dricus Du Plessis doesn’t think his UFC 305 counterpart is the same fighter Adesanya once was.

    “His fire is dimming, if not out,” Du Plessis recently said of Adesanya in the lead-up to Saturday’s championship main event.

    Du Plessis won the belt in January with a split decision over Sean Strickland and he will attempt to make his first title defence this weekend at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

    Watch UFC 305 on Sportsnet+


    Dricus Du Plessis aims to defend his middleweight title against former longtime champion Israel Adesanya. Watch UFC 305 on Saturday, Aug. 17 with prelim coverage at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, and pay-per-view main card starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

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    The last time the UFC held an event in Perth was early in 2023 for UFC 284 when Islam Makhachev edged out Alexander Volkanovski in an instant five-round classic in the first of their two lightweight title matchups.

    Du Plessis will be facing a similar challenge to the one Makhachev overcame as a defending champion entering enemy territory.

    Adesanya is from New Zealand and also popular down under. UFC 305 will mark the Nigerian-born star’s fifth time competing in Australia under the UFC banner and fourth time headlining a card in the country. He debuted in Perth in 2018. Adesanya is the only two-time middleweight champ in UFC history and can make it three-time if he is able to become the first fighter to defeat Du Plessis at the UFC level. 

    Adesanya and Du Plessis have never previously fought each other but have developed a rivalry as the current champ climbed the rankings.

    “Beating him is what attracted me to this fight. Not the belt,” Adesanya said at a press event earlier this summer.

    South Africa’s Du Plessis, 30, is 21-2 in MMA and 7-0 in the UFC. The undisputed champion finished Robert Whittaker prior to facing and beating Strickland at UFC 297 in Toronto.

    Adesanya is the only fighter to defeat current light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira in MMA; he knocked him out in highlight fashion in the main event of UFC 287.

    The 35-year-old last competed at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia 11 months ago when he lost the title and a 25-minute unanimous decision to Strickland.

    In addition to the five-round middleweight title fight, UFC 305 features a high-level flyweight co-main event between Australia’s Steve Erceg and New Zealand’s Kai Kara-France.

    Projected UFC 305 bout order below:

    MAIN CARD

    — Dricus du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya

    — Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg

    — Mateusz Gamrot vs. Dan Hooker

    — Tai Tuivasa vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik

    — Li Jingliang vs. Carlos Prates

    PRELIMINARY CARD

    — Junior Tafa vs. Valter Walker

    — Joshua Culibao vs. Ricardo Ramos

    — Casey O’Neill vs. Luana Santos

    — Jack Jenkins vs. Herbert Burns

    — Tom Nolan vs. Alex Reyes

    — Song Kenan vs. Ricky Glenn

    — Stewart Nicoll vs. Jesús Santos Aguilar

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    Famed MMA coach Eugene Du Plessis recently spoke out about his concerns regarding UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya’s motivation and passion for the sport. Du Plessis, who has worked with some of the biggest names in the sport, including former champions like Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic, raised eyebrows when he suggested that Adesanya’s fire may be fading.

    In a recent interview, Du Plessis expressed his worries about Adesanya’s recent performances in the Octagon, noting that the Nigerian-born fighter seemed to be lacking the same drive and determination that had propelled him to the top of the division. “I’ve been around this sport for a long time, and I can tell when a fighter’s heart isn’t in it anymore,” Du Plessis said. “Israel is an incredibly talented athlete, but I fear that his passion for the sport may be waning.”

    Du Plessis pointed to Adesanya’s lackluster performance in his most recent title defense against Marvin Vettori as evidence of his concerns. While Adesanya ultimately won the fight by unanimous decision, many fans and analysts criticized his performance as lackluster and uninspired. Du Plessis believes that this lack of motivation could be a sign that Adesanya is losing his hunger for competition.

    Despite his concerns, Du Plessis emphasized that he still believes in Adesanya’s potential and talent as a fighter. “Israel is a once-in-a-generation talent, and I have no doubt that he has the ability to bounce back from this rough patch,” Du Plessis said. “But he needs to dig deep and find that fire within himself again if he wants to continue to succeed at the highest level.”

    Adesanya has yet to respond to Du Plessis’ comments, but fans and analysts will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on his next performance to see if there is any truth to the coach’s concerns. Only time will tell if Adesanya can reignite the passion that once made him one of the most dominant fighters in the UFC.